Cap closure provided with slip-out skirt packing



A PODESTA 3,489,308

CAP CLOSURE PROVIDED WITH SLIP-OUT SKIRT PACKING Jan. 13, 1970 FiledDec. 20, 1967 ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,489,308 CAP CLOSUREPROVIDED WITH SLIP-OUT SKIRT PACKING Armando Podesta, 4 Via Petrarca,Milan, Italy Filed Dec. 20, 1967, Ser. No. 692,228 Int. Cl. B65d 41/00,41/22 U.S. Cl. 215-40 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A closure capprovided with an annular packing member clamped between the cap skirtand the corresponding part of the container. The cap may be removedwithout the use of tools by simply slipping out the packing member. Forthis purpose the packing member is provided with a pulling extension orlap projecting out of the cap s irt.

This invention relates to cap closures for bottles and like containersand particularly to containers provided with a bead under the mouth, andparticularly of the socalled crown caps or other caps which are anchoredto the container by restricting a part of the skirt under said containerhead.

The main object of the invention is to provide a skirt packing for saidcap closures which, while greatly improving the tightness of the cap, isprovided with means for permitting its slipping out from between the capskirt and the corresponding container part and after the packing hasbeen so removed, permits the removal of the cap without tools, due tothe cap being loosely fitted on to the container mouth after the removalof the skirt packing.

According to the invention, the skirt packing is of the annular type,split or weakened in one position, in correspondence with apredetermined tear line, and provided with a lap or other means forgripping a part of the packing and pulling same out of the cap skirt.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, in order to reducethe size of the projecting grip lap, while providing a sufiicient gripwhen the skirt packing has to be pulled out of the cap skirt, the griplap proper is provided at the end of a packing strip extending aroundthe major part of the exterior skirt packing and connected thereto by atear line, whereby by seizing the grip lap and pulling same outwardly,first the exterior packing lap is detached from the skirt packing properand then the detached packing strip having a sufficient length forconstituting a sufficiently strong grip member, is employed for pullingout with a sufficient strength the skirt packing from beneath the capskirt.

The above and other characteristic features of the invention will appearfrom the following specification of some preferred embodiments of theinvention, which will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows a radial section through one-half of a so-called crowncap provided with a skirt packing according to the invention, beforeapplying to a bottle;

FIGURE 2 shows also in radial section the same cap shown in FIGURE 1,but after the crimping of its corrugated edge over the mouth of abottle, also shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a crown cap provided with the skirt packingaccording to the invention, after its fitting onto a bottle; and

FIGURES 4 and 5 show in radial section and in enlarged scale anothertype of closure cap provided with the skirt packing according to theinvention, before and after of its edge all around a bottle neck, whichis also shown in section in FIGURE 5.

3,489,308 Patented Jan. 13, 1970 "ice With reference to FIGURE 1 of thedrawing, 1 denotes a metallic closure cap, of the crown type, having askirt 2 provided with a corrugated edge 3, 4 projecting substantiallyradially from the skirt proper 2.

Under the corrugated edge 3, 4 of the cap a skirt packing 6 made of softplastic material is fitted, which, in the embodiment as shown in FIGURE1 has upstanding edges 106, 206 which, together with the intermediateskirt packing section form a channel-like member which, when the cap isnot applied to a bottle, remains clamped under the cap 1 and does notfall during its applying onto a bottle. This sticking of the skirtpacking 6 to the cap 1 may be enhanced by applying within thechannel-like member or under the corrugated cap edge 3, 4 a mastic orputty.

When the cap is applied onto a bottle neck 5 whose mouth is providedwith a projecting bead 105, FIG. 2, it is anchored thereto by crimpingover the projecting bead the corrugated lower cap edge 3, 4 so that thecap comes to be anchored onto the bottle mouth with a tight fit, so asto resist external and internal pressures and, as is apparent, the skirtpacking 6 and prevalently its inner part 106 constitutes both a packingmember and an intermediate anchoring member of the cap upon the bottlemouth.

The said skirt packing is provided with transversal slit 7, or even witha corresponding weakening or tearing line, which however do notprejudice the tightness of the cap, due to the clamping action which iseffected by the crimping of the cap edge 3, 4 when anchoring the cap 1to the bottle mouth 5.

The skirt packing 6 is provided all around with an external lap 8 whichis integral thereof. When, as shown, the lap 8 is short, it is providedwith a lateral extension 108 which extends, from the side of the lap 8opposite to the transversal slit 7, circumferentially all around saidpacking 7 until it reaches again the transversal cut 7, from theopposite side of lap 8'. Thus the lap 8 together with its side extension108 form upon the annular packing 6 a flap which extends for almost 360and projects externally of cap 1, below the lower edge thereof and isinterrupted in correspondence of the transversal slit 7, as it appearsfrom FIGURE 3. The circumferential extension 108 of the lap 8 isintegral with both of lap 8 and packing 6 and may be detached only fromthis latter along a weakening and predetermined tearing line 9 whichextends along almost the whole circumference of the packing 6, from thepoint 109, on the side of the lap 8 opposite to the transversal packingslit 7 circumferentially all around said packing 6, until it reached theopposite side of the transversal slit 7.

For opening the bottle thus closed the end 208 of the peripheralextension 108 of the lap 8 is seized and pulled so as to sever same fromthepacking 6 along the weakening line 9, by progressively proceeding inthe direction of arrow F all around the cap 1, to the end 109 of thepredetermined tearing line 9, by the lap section 8. When the lapextension 108 is severed from th packing 6, it constitutes, togetherwith the lap 8, a very long and easily and strongly seizable means forslipping the packing 6 out, from between the corrugated cap edge 3, 4and the underlying annular bead 105, by pulling said lap 8 and extension108 downwardly. By this downward pull, the skirt packing 6 is slippedprogressively out of its seat between cap 1 and container mouth 5, 105,by proceeding in a circumferential direction opposite to arrow F.

This pulling out of the packing 6 promotes the loosening of the cap 1from the mouth 5, in View of the fact that, as described above, thepacking 6 constitutes the intermediate anchoring member of the cap 1 tothe mouth bead 105. Therefore, after the slipping out of the packing 6,the cap may be removed manually from the bottle or other containermouth, without effort and without the help of tools.

The end 208 of the circumferential extension 108 of lap 8 presentspreferably seizing sections 10 having a non-smooth, and for example arough, wrinkly, rifled, ribbed, shagreened or other surface, in order toensure a strong gripping of said end 208.

The embodiment as shown in FIGURES 4 and corresponds substantially tothat shown in FIGURES 1 through 3 as regards the construction andfunction of the packing 6 made of plastic material, equal or like partsbeing indicated by the same reference numerals. The essential differenceconsists in the realization of the closure cap and in the manner ofanchoring same to the container mouth 5. In fact, in the embodiment asshown in FIGURES 4 and 5 the skirt 102 of the metallic cap 101 isprovided with a lower section 103 which is pre-coiled towards theinterior and which, initially projects outwardly, as shown in FIGURE 4.The skirt packing 6 surrounds from the interior said pre-coiling 103 andpresents a tooth-shaped part 306 which overlies the pre-coiled part 103and thus connects the packing 6 to cap 101. Cap 101 is fastened onto thecontainer mouth 5 by radially pushing inwardly the lower pre-coiling103, either in a continuous or a discontinuous manner upon itscircumference and in such a manner as to engage same from below againstthe outer annular bead of the container mouth 5, with the interpositionof the packing 6, as shown in FIGURE 5. Also in this case the cap 101 istherefore anchored to the mouth so as to resist either against externalor internal pressures and the packing 6, being clamped between theanchoring coiling 103 of cap 101 and the bead 105 of the container mouth5, constitutes both a packing member and an intermediate anchoringmember of said cap 101. Furthermore the packing 6 is provided, also inthis embodiment, with a transversal slit or a weakening andpredetermined tearing line and the opening of the container mouth takesplace in like manner as described, by progressively slipping the packing6 out of its seat between cap 1 and mouth 5 by means of the pulling lap8 provided one end of the packing sidewise of said slit.

According to another characteristic feature (not shown) of theinvention, the packing 6 may constitute an integral part of an internalclosure member (cap or plug) made of plastic material and fitted upon orinserted into the container mouth below the outer metallic cap 1, 101.In this case the packing 6 will be made in one piece with said internalclosure member and will be detachable therefrom along a circumferentialweakening or pre-determined tearing line. Particularly, the packing 6and the pulling lap 8 integral thereto and provided or not with acircumferentialextension 108 may be formed by the lower part of theskirt or an internal cap made of plastic material, or else by the outertop flange of an inside tumbler stopper, also made of plastic material.By the first opening of the container by slipping out of the packing 6and taking away of the outer metallic cap 1, 101, as hereinbeforedescribed, the packing 6- is torn away from the inside closure memberand this may be employed for the successive closures of the container.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiments as justdescribed and as shown, but may be amply varied and modified,principally as to its construction. Thus for example, in order to obtainthe slipping out of the packing 6, this may be provided, on one or bothits ends, sidewise of the transversal slit 7, with a simple lap 8 havinga sufficient length and without a circumferential extension 108. On theother hand, this circumferential extension 108 of the lap 8 may extendfor any desired angle around the packing 6, and particularly for anangle less or even in excess of 360, in which latter case the extension108 of the lap 8 will extend spirally around the packing 6. The methodof opening according to the invention may be applied to any closure capswhatsoever, independently from their kind of anchoring to the container,provided it guarantees a tight closure which is resistant both tointernal and external pressures and be effected with the interpositionof an annular packing.

I claim:

1. A combination closure cap and packing adapted to be clamped onto acontainer having a beaded mouth, said combination comprising, a closurecap having a closed end, a skirt projecting from the closed end, saidskirt having a cylindrical portion projecting from said closed end, saidcylindrical portion having an out-turned flange extending from the freeend thereof, a soft plastic skirt packing mounted on the skirt, saidskirt packing comprising an annular packing portion carried on and incontact with the cylindrical and out-turned flange portions of theskirt, said annular packing portion being provided with a transverseweakened section through its annular cross section, a marginal lipportion extending integrally from the outer circumference of the annularpacking portion, said marginal lip commencing at the transverse weakenedportion and terminating at a point less than 360 therefrom, and saidmarginal lip having a circumferential weakened portion extending fromits termination to a point short of the transverse weakened portion inthe annular packing portion.

2. The invention as set 'forth in claim 1 and wherein the annularpacking portion includes gripping means for securing the skirt packingto the skirt.

3. The invention as set forth in claim 2, and wherein the gripping meansfor securing the skirt packing to the skirt comprises flange means onthe annular packing portion to engage and grip the outer edge of theout-turned flange and the cylindrical skirt portion adjacent theoutturned flange.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,722 7/1920 White 215-401,517,396 12/1924 Boothman 215-40 2,085,950 7/1937 Busch 215-402,543,774 3/1951 Gora 215-39 2,800,240 7/1957 Will 215--40 2,961,10911/1960 Podesta 215-40 X 2,974,816 3/ 1961 Ford 215-40 3,224,627 12/1965 Dielmann et al 220-47 3,227,302 1/1966 Merrill 215-40 FOREIGNPATENTS 849,963 9/ 1952 Germany. 897,833 5/1962 Great Britain.

DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner US Cl. X.R.

